Homemade Granola

Homemade Granola

Growing up in the North East of England − a wonderful area in Northumberland, Newcastle and Gateshead Upon Tyne − I enjoyed a fabulous childhood, loving parents, great brother and sister and many friends. Being British, I do have to complain about the weather because even the summer would be chilly in North East England. Once fall (autumn for my British friends) arrived, the best breakfast you could ask for was Scotts Porridge Oats to warm you through as you waited in the cold on dark mornings for the school bus. Actually, we didn’t have a yellow school bus. Public transport did the job back then, but if you missed the bus, which I did on more than one occasion, you were looking at a three mile walk.

Scotts Porridge Oats was one of the first things I ever made and served to guests. Actually, I made it for friends on an Outward Bound field trip in the National Lake District Park. Part of the field trip was camping overnight. Because I was the only lad taking home economics while my friends took more manly subjects such as metal work and wood work, I was given the job of making the porridge for our four man tent the next morning. Not understanding weights and measurements back then, I added one tablespoon of salt to the hot porridge instead of one teaspoon. I remember Graham Wood, Terry Tiffin and Shaun Hall, three of my best mates at the time, using quite harsh language towards me and complaining the rest of the day about how dry their throats were as we hiked over Scafell Pike back to the base camp.

I’ve come a long way from that first salty bowl of oats. My daily breakfast routine these days is either a big, vegetable and fruit smoothie or a bowl of baked-in-the-oven oats. I don’t buy a great deal of processed foods, especially boxed cereal, because it’s loaded with sugar and salt. You may know that overly processed food is not good for you. All of the naturally healthy elements are removed to make it shelf stable and artificial vitamins and minerals are added back later. Surely that’s not right. So I make my own granola, and serve it with homemade almond milk topped off with lots of fresh fruit that I have on hand. This makes a delicious start to the day, rich with nutrition and flavor.

Many of you may not know why oats are so good for you. They contain 55 percent soluble fiber and 45 percent insoluble fiber, which is good for digestion. The soluble fiber in oats, known as beta-glucan, is actually a type of polysaccharide that helps lower cholesterol levels and greatly reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke. Research is on-going to see if beta-glucan can boost the body’s ability to kill cancer cells. Oats also contain avenanthramide, which is also believed to be heart healthy and have anti-inflammatory properties. As well as containing phosphorus, potassium, selenium, manganese and iron, two thirds of a cup of oats has five grams of fiber and eight and a half grams of protein, the highest amount of any popular cereal on the market today. Be cautious of oats if you suffer from celiac disease or uric acid problems. Check with your physician or dietitian first before consuming them. Oats are even gluten free, but, if you have gluten sensitivity, read the label before eating to make sure they aren’t mixed with other grains.

Homemade Granola

Makes about 9cups

2 cups Gluten free old fashioned rolled oats

1 cup Gluten free steel cut oats

½ cup Sesame seeds

½ cup ground flaxseeds

½ cup almonds (or your favorite kind of nut)

½ cup cashew nuts (or your favorite kind of nut)

½ cup water, filtered

½ cup pumpkin Seeds

½ cup shredded coconut

½ cup extra virgin Olive Oil

½ cup locally sourced organic honey

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

½ cup dates, chopped

½ cup raisins

Preheat oven to 300’F

How To Make:

Combine the first 12 ingredients together in a mixing bowl, then spread evenly onto a ungreased baking sheet.

Bake for 1 to 1 ¼ hours or until golden brown. Every 20 minutes stir to the make sure the granola bakes evenly. After baking, remove from the oven allow to cool, then add the chopped dates and raisins.

Enjoy a ½ or ¾ cup of Granola with almond milk and your choice of fresh fruit for a great start to your day.